Elaine Tabony

SCPHN Programme Lead for Health Visiting, School Nursing and Occupational Health Nursing

I started my nursing career in adult nursing before training at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children gaining several years’ experience in acute paediatrics. I achieved Queens Nurse (QN) status through recognition of leadership in nursing in 2009.

Whilst undertaking my BSc at Brunel University London in 1999, I started a community project across community health services and education, and subsequently was awarded the University Prize for this work. The project, Seasons for Growth Grief Education, supports children, young people and adults who have experienced significant loss. I successfully bid for funding from the Queens Nursing Institute (QNI) (2002) to continue and expand the project. Success for the project continues 20 years later where I was involved with an international evaluation 2019. I spoke at the international conference in Australia on how the Seasons for Growth Grief Education programme benefits children who have experienced adverse childhood experiences (ACE’s).

In 2006, whilst undertaking the MSc in Health Promotion and Public Health, I was approached by the Associate Director of Public Health to pilot a new lifestyle behaviour change programme tackling obesity and led this project liaising with health, education, local authority, sport and leisure services and public health at all levels. The project included training staff to implement the programme and provide evaluation reports. This led to a secondment one day a week for eight years in Hillingdon Public Health Department whilst managing a teams of school nurses in an area of high deprivation.

I became a lecturer practitioner at Brunel University London in 2012 and was subsequently permanently appointed to the Specialist Community Public Health Nursing (SCPHN) team in 2015. I am now the elected vice-chair of the UK Standing Committee (UKSC). Prior to becoming SCPHN Programme Lead, I held the role of Departmental Director of Teaching and Learning (DDTL).

I am the lead lecturer at Brunel University London for Promotional Guide training in Health Visiting and School Nursing and co-author with Dr Day (2016) for the Young People’s Promotional Guide Programme for School Nursing. The guide is used to improve communication between client and practitioner by promoting a client-led conversation. This training helps school nurses to gain skills in assessment.

I am a passionate supporter of ensuring the health needs, including emotional health needs for children and young people are met and have participated in development of DH policy.